美国众议院议长的声明
  
     
  WASHINGTON, June 24 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Speaker Nancy Pelosi released the following statement today in response to reports from China's official Xinhua news agency that human rights leader Liu Xiaobo has been formally arrested on the criminal charge of "inciting subversion of state power." Liu Xiaobo was one of the original signers of Charter 08, an online petition calling for new policies to improve human rights and democracy in China. It now has more than 8,000 signatories, a number of whom have been harassed and intimidated by Chinese authorities. Speaker Pelosi had previously written a letter to Chinese President Hu Jintao calling for the release of Liu Xiaobo and certain individuals detained or imprisoned solely for exercising internationally-recognized rights guaranteed to them under Chinese law. "The decision by the Chinese government to formally arrest Liu Xiaobo deserves the full condemnation from the international community. Liu's arrest for peacefully criticizing his government and advocating for human rights violates provisions in China's constitution as well as international human rights standards. It has also been reported that Chinese authorities have decided to bar one of Liu Xiaobo's lawyers from representing him, a move without apparent legal basis. "The courageous efforts Liu Xiaobo and the other signatories of Charter 08 to express themselves in the face of harassment, intimidation, and detention are an inspiration to the entire world. The Chinese government should cease its efforts to suppress the Charter 08 movement and listen to the many Chinese people calling for political reforms." SOURCE Office of the Speaker of the House
US House Speaker slams China arrest of democracy advocate

20 hours ago

WASHINGTON (AFP) — US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday urged worldwide condemnation of China's decision to arrest prominent pro-democracy dissident Liu Xiaobo.

"The decision by the Chinese government to formally arrest Liu Xiaobo deserves the full condemnation from the international community," said Pelosi, who is second in line for the presidency after US Vice President Joe Biden.

Her comments came after Chinese state media reported that Liu, a leading force behind a petition calling for democratic reforms, had been formally arrested for subversive activities.

"Liu?s arrest for peacefully criticizing his government and advocating for human rights violates provisions in China?s constitution as well as international human rights standards," Pelosi said in a statement.

"It has also been reported that Chinese authorities have decided to bar one of Liu Xiaobo?s lawyers from representing him, a move without apparent legal basis," said Pelosi.

Liu, who has been detained since December, was arrested Tuesday for "alleged agitation activities aimed at subversion of the government and overthrowing the socialist system," Xinhua news agency said, citing Beijing police.

The 53-year-old writer, who was involved in the 1989 Tiananmen Square pro-democracy movement that was crushed by the army, has long campaigned through his writings for human rights and democracy in China.

He was taken into custody last year after signing Charter 08, a widely circulated manifesto calling for fundamental political and legal reforms to China's Communist Party-dominated system and respect for human rights.

The document was signed by about 300 Chinese scholars, lawyers and officials.

"The courageous efforts Liu Xiaobo and the other signatories of Charter 08 to express themselves in the face of harassment, intimidation, and detention are an inspiration to the entire world," said Pelosi.

"The Chinese government should cease its efforts to suppress the Charter 08 movement and listen to the many Chinese people calling for political reforms," said the lawmaker, whose home state is California.

 

佩洛西：中国拘捕刘晓波的决定应受国际社会谴责


作者：佚名    文章来源：RFI    点击数：14    更新时间：2009-6-25

美国众院议长佩洛西周三指出，中国政府正式拘捕刘晓波的决定应受到国际社会全力谴责。她说，刘晓波以和平方式批评政府，维护人权。而维护人权也是中国宪法中的内容，是符合国际准则的。此外美国多家媒体星期三对刘晓波被正式逮捕进行了报道。

基督教科学箴言报说，在国际上受到尊敬的作家刘晓波在被秘密拘留了6个月后于星期三被以煽动颠覆国家政权罪正式逮捕。该报引用人权人士的话说，对刘的逮捕表明目前中国正处于一个最大的政治上收紧的循环之中。

纽约时报报道说，人权活跃人士通常被当局指控寻求颠覆国家政权，但是这次中国政府逮捕刘晓波的罪名里还包括了寻求推翻社会主义制度，这是不寻常的。人权专家说，正式逮捕刘晓波的决定显示了中国正越来越不能容忍异议人士。人权观察研究员拜奎林说，当把一位多年来当局一直容忍其写作的最著名异议知识分子投入监狱时，中国政府送出了一个明确的政治上更强硬的讯号。纽约时报的报道说，由于其国际知名度，刘晓波案件使得北京在公共关系上进退两难。

刘晓波发起和签署了《零八宪章》，他是在2008年12月8日，宪章发表前一天被当局拘留的。纽约时报说，《零八宪章》呼吁废除中国刑法中“煽动颠覆国家政权”的罪名，而当局正是以此罪名逮捕刘晓波的，新华社的新闻并说明对刘晓波的逮捕根据中国刑法中的具体条款。纽约时报说，像刘晓波这样的著名人权人士，没有政府高层做出决定一般是不会对他们进行起诉的，而一旦做出决定，法院就会依此做出有罪的判决。

美联社说，中国总是强烈回击任何对其一党专政制度的挑战，不过在10月1日60周年大庆之前更要镇压任何异议人士。美联社说，本月早些时候，美国国会众院议长佩洛西曾呼吁立即无条件释放刘晓波。上个月，佩洛西写信给中国国家主席胡锦涛，也要求他释放刘晓波和其他中国被监禁的良心犯。

人权组织大赦国际亚太区副主任拉尔芙说，“这种以国家安全理由惩罚仅仅因表达了自己观点的活跃人士的做法必须停止。这是这一政权做出恐吓公众舆论的绝望行动。”